Xroads
by missmeyet
Summary: The team lands on a new planet to discover another team is already there in an AU. The story begins when those realities start crossing. The AU characters come from another story I wrote, which I may post later as a prequel...
1. A rude awakening

**Note: doesn't like my version of conversational formatting, so I'm going to have to go with "" is spoken conversation, _italics _are thought conversations, and bold are radio conversations. **

_Are you awake, Ser?  
I don't want to be, Dankit. I seem to hurt. Lots.  
Ah, yes. Well, there are noises outside. You might want to make an effort._

Grudgingly, I agreed, and croaked out the loudest "Guys, I'm in here…" I could muster. Sure enough, the rustling got louder on the other side of the rubble currently blocking my exit from the cave I had been exploring. I seriously hoped it was my team outside and not the damn Goa'ulds we had seen hovering the flipside of the planet yesterday. Suddenly a shaft of brilliantly sparking light broke through just above my head.

"Hello. Having some troubles in there?"

Shit – not my team. The voice sounded human though – or at least non-Jaffa, judging from the tone – and I sure as heck wasn't getting out without help, so I decided to play along.

"Yeah, apparently practicing my arias inside wasn't such a hot idea, in retrospect." I deadpanned. "D'ya think y'all could spare some water?" My answer was a thud beside me. The voice had tossed a water bottle through the hole. I picked it up. Evian? On PSX-386? Okay, so my rescuer was definitely from Earth…

"Thanks muchly." I called out, slowly taking a sip. It wasn't a fresh bottle, but then again, I figured contamination via cooties was probably not a high concern at this point in, considering the situation.

"No problem," the voice replied. "Well, actually, there is a _slight_ problem," he continued, then stopped.

"Right … and that would be?" I figured it was best to keep the voice talking – it kept me from wondering where the hell Kawalsky, Ferretti, and Prax'l had gotten to. Damn males!

_I heard that, Ser.  
Yes Dankit. Sorry. I will try to be less gender-specific in my future rants regarding my team members' inadequacies.  
Now Ser, there's no need for quite that tone of sarcasm…  
Look who's talking! Now shush, I'm trying to get us rescued! Still no answer from outside … hmmmm._

"Sorry, I hate to be a pest and all," I called out, "but if y'all don't share with me your pressing concerns, I can't begin to address 'em. And while I appreciate both the airhole and the Evian, I'm not sure how long it'll be until the next random rock shifting in here…." I trailed off, hoping the voice hadn't just lost interest and abandoned me. Suddenly a radio cackled to life. Definitely not mine, thanks to the damn cave-in – a rock the size of my head had seen to that.

**Daniel, what's going on at your end? Have you found the entrance yet?  
Well, I found someone trapped in what appears to be said entrance to the cave systems…  
PAUSE  
_Someone_? Daniel, the scans showed no people on this rock!  
Well Jack, I'm not hearing voices! There's definitely a girl in there!**

_Okay, so that explains his 'slight' problem.  
And gives us a few more concerns, Ser.  
No kidding – if there aren't supposed to be any life forms, where the hell are the guys?  
Do you not find the voice on the radio familiar, Ser?  
No. Shut up – I'm trying to listen!_

**Okay…Teal'c and I'll be there stat. Hang tight, Daniel.**

I sat back, stunned. Teal'c? That wasn't exactly a common name, and while Jack was slightly more so, Dankit was right – the voice did sound familiar, like a certain Col. O'Neill, to be more precise. But SG-1 were scheduled to be on Vorash, negotiating something or other with the Tok-ra. So confused…. and who the heck was this Daniel then?

"Hi in there." A tentative voice called through the opening. "The blockage out here is a bit too much for me to handle alone, but my friends'll be here shortly to help out."

_And have their zats at the ready, no doubt. And who the heck was this? I don't remember a Daniel on SG1…  
Nor do I, Ser.  
Well I'm glad to know it wasn't just me missing a team line-up change…_

"Sounds great. Thanks!" I called back. Best to continue playing the cheerful innocence card, at least until a better option presented itself.

_Well now, this could get interesting.  
Don't you still owe Col. O'Neill $20 from the last Avalanche game, Ser?  
Shhhhhhh..._


	2. Introductions, please

**Chapter 2**

Dust spilled down my face, tickling my nose. I woke with a start. Nope, still in the cave. Damn. Sigh…. I coughed.

"Oh good, you're awake again!" The voice, Daniel, sounded relieved.  
"And still trapped in a cave with no water, no food, and apparently no friends as of yet." I griped, only half-joking.  
"Yeah – our other friend ran into some trouble with the local wildlife, so they had to go there first. She's in a bit of pain at the moment," he explained.  
Not thinking, I replied, "If Sammie's been quilled, she needs to smear the yellow berries by the riverbank on the punctures, but fast. It'll stop the itching – so Feretti discovered yesterday. Thank god our fearless leader at least was paying attention in Doc's herbology lecture in the pre-mission! We were due to bring back a load of them for analysis tomorrow..." I trailed off, realising what I'd done.

_ Oh shit. Stupid girl, stupid stupid girl!_

There was a huge pause from outside, then a throat cleared.  
"I'll … I'll pass the message right along. Th-thanks," he stuttered.

_ And there goes our element of surprise. Excellent work, Ser._  
I smacked my forehead, but unfortunately it hurt me more, not him. I could hear the radio crackle outside.

** Um Jack, she says to find the yellow berries on the riverbank, and smear them on the punctures. It'll stop the itching.  
Will do. I'm sure Carter'll appreciate the tip.  
Sure. Jack, one other thing…  
**PAUSE  
** Yes, Daniel?  
Well, I think our little problem got a bit more, well, complicated.  
**PAUSE  
** Care to explain that a bit more, Daniel?  
She said she found out about the berries when Feretti was quilled yesterday.  
**PAUSE  
** I'm sorry Daniel – did you just say Feretti?  
Yes Jack, Feretti. And she knew Sam's name.  
**PAUSE  
** Well, that does make our mystery visitor a bit more interesting. Teal'c's getting the berries. We'll be along shortly. Hang tight.  
**PAUSE  
** Daniel? … Does our new friend have a name?  
Oh. Um. I'll get back to you.  
**PAUSE. Shuffle.

_ Oh now, this could get even more interesting.  
Seriously Dankit, shut up. I'm trying to think.  
And it's working so well, Ser.  
DANKIT!_

"Um, hi again."  
"Hi!" I tried to sound cheerful, and to ignore the burn that had begun in the pit of my gut.  
"So, my friends say thanks for the tip, and they should be along shortly."  
"Good, good." My stomach chose that moment to rumble.  
"Yeah. So…" he seemed at a loss for how to proceed.  
"So…" I shrugged. In for a penny, and all that jazz. "So you want to know who the hell I am, and how I know stuff about your '_friends'_, otherwise known as SG-1, right?" I ventured. There was a thud outside. I ploughed on. "And you're probably trying to figure out how to tell if I'm a Goa'uld in disguise, or some other psychically-inclined species who is randomly pulling information from your brain." There was a slight pause outside, presumably as he attempted to gather his thoughts.  
"Well, in a word, yeah."  
"Rest assured, I'm Taur'i." I tried to sounds as reassuring as possible.

_ Well, mostly!  
Shhhhhhhh! I don't know who this is, or where my team is, or really much of anything at the moment! Let's keep that particular little detail to ourselves, shall we?  
…so now I'm just a minor little detail to you?  
Dankit … I mean it!  
Just sampling your humour Ser. I concur, it's most likely a good idea to gather as much intel as possible before divulging more personal details.  
_I rolled my eyes.  
_ Thank you! Sigh…_

"Er … interesting way of putting it. So, do you have a name, by chance?"  
I snorted. "A name, rank, and serial, actually," I replied.  
"Ah." PAUSE "Care to share any of the above?"  
PAUSE  
"He-hello? Still there?" he ventured after a few moments of silence on my end.  
"I'm thinking!" I shot back.  
"You know, most people would consider having to think about one's name a bad sign," he quipped.

_ Oh goodie – a boy with a sense of humour!  
Ser …. **not** a good idea!  
I know Dankit. I need a level playing field first.  
Yes. Wait – no! Oh boy….  
Shhhh._

"True," I returned, "Then again, most people aren't stuck in a cave conversing with a suspicious stranger upon whom they are dependant for continued survival into the near future. Who also, I might point out, have neglected to share their own name, rank, and/or serial."  
"Ah. Point taken," he replied. I pressed on.  
"I know that when I began exploring this cave, which, I might add, has some very illuminating narrative on the walls when they're, y'know, illuminated –"  
"Really?" he interrupted. "Are they discussing a lightning god – Ilyap'a, or Apocatequil?"  
"No, actually – that's what I was expecting too!" I replied in surprise. "It's actually Elegua – totally different pantheon!"  
"What? But he's the god of … crossroads or something like that, isn't he? Why would a Goa'uld take that form? They're not big on giving choices…" he wondered aloud. As impressed as I was by this Daniel's grasp of the various less well-known deities, I couldn't help but make a crack – comparative mythology and translation were **_my_** area of expertise, dammit! Who the heck did he think he was, anyway?  
"Because all the really cool personalities from the other religions were already taken? I don't know - yet!" I shot back. "Besides, since when do the Goa'ulds refrain from re-making human mythological practices to suit their own needs and desires???"  
"True," he conceded. "What do the drawings say?"  
"They're carvings, actually, and I'm not sure – I didn't get a chance to finish translating before the storm system fell on us. I was booting it back out – or at least trying to – when there was this purple crack and the entrance caved in." I explained.  
"A purple crack?" he asked.  
"Yeah – the air turned electric purple, the mountain shook, there was a piercing crack … and then I woke up buried in here. My radio's been conveniently destroyed, so I was just biding my time until the boys came to poke jokes at my misfortunes while digging me out."  
"Ah." PAUSE "The boys?" he prodded.

_ Way to go Ser! Just keep that info pouring out of him before you give an inch! Brava!  
I know! Shit. Leave me alone Dankit … my head hurts…._

"My team…" I paused and sighed. "SG-2. Lt. Col Kawalsky, Major Feretti, and Prax'l," I reluctantly filled him in.  
"…interesting! And you are?" I rolled my eyes at my own stupidity. I have _such_ a hard time staying indignant when people show any intelligent interest in my personal area of geekdom. Sigh…

_ Down girl – loose lips sink ships, remember!  
Dankit …  
I know, shutting up now._

"Not answering any more bloody questions until I get some answers from you, oh nameless bringer of Evian!" I countered.  
"Oh! Oh yeah! I'm sorry – I'm Daniel." He actually sounded apologetic for his lack in etiquette. How cute! Must be a civvie though.  
"Daniel….?" I let his name dangle.  
"Daniel Jackson. Doctor Daniel Jackson, actually." A hand was thrust awkwardly through the air hole. I was too busy being shocked to react.  
"Dr … **_the_** Dr. Daniel Jackson?" I gasped.  
"Um, yes…?" The hand faltered a tad. I jumped up, and tried to ignore the pretty stars spinning dangerously around my head, or the fact that my right leg had been asleep, and was now painfully waking up. I gripped the hand still offered, and tried (rather unsuccessfully) to shake it.  
"Sorry!" I apologised for knocking his wrist against the edge of the air hole. At least I assume that was what caused the yelp from outside – his arm was blocking the light source, so I couldn't see very well, but my grip wasn't _that_ strong … I think. "When … why … but … um … wow. I'm …. You're … **_the_** Dr. Jackson? Oh!" I was feeling really light-headed, so I let go of his hand and slumped to the floor once again. "I'm sorry – I think I need to sit back down now," I apologised again.

_THE Doctor Daniel Jackson??? Oh my …  
Isn't he still on Abydos, dealing with the wrath of Amunet over the death of Apophis and the forced relocation of the Harsesis?  
I don't know, Dankit. That's what I thought, but then again … I'm really confused.  
But the only reason he's still attached to the SGC at all is -  
I DON'T KNOW, DANKIT! All I DO know for certain is that we sure as heck ain't in Kansas anymore…. And I'm even more sure that you really need to keep quiet, okay?  
Agreed, Ser._

"So…" the light returned as he withdrew his hand from the hole.  
"La, Ti, Do?" I tiredly returned to the conversation left dangling.  
"Cute," he replied. I grinned.  
"My friends call me Ser." I replied.  
"Short for 'Sarah'?" he hazarded a guess.  
"No – Serendipity. I … well … it's a long story."  
"Ah. Well I'm sure we'll have lots of time to pick each others' brains soon, Ser." There was another noise outside. "My friends are here now," he called back.

_ Oh goodie. And now let the games **really **begin.  
It'll be okay Ser.  
Dankit, he sure as hell has no idea who I am. Which means introducing you is oh so very not going to wash – so how exactly is this going to turn out **well**? I don't exist here, which means at least I'll be spared the damn phase shifting crap that poor Sammie went through each time, but still – debriefing? I don't deal with doctors other than Doc, and there's no guaranteeing she'll be their head Doc! Besides, even in the apparently unlikely event that I don't slip, they're going to want to bring me back to the base eventually, and I'm not going to be able to hide you if they do a full CAT – let's face it, who knows where they're at, technologically-speaking? We have to assume they're on par with us… Oh, why me???  
Which means they won't be able to detect me. And you will not slip on that account. We choose our partners well -- have faith, Ser.  
I know Dankit, I know... Everything happens for a reason._


	3. The calvary arrives

**Chapter 3 **

Colonel Jack O'Neill prided himself on being able to roll with the punches, to think quickly, and to react on his feet. While one part of him was not-so-secretly thrilled about having some excitement – besides Carter's unfortunately amusing mishap with the local wildlife, of course – another very real part of him was very not liking mysteriously silent landslides that proceeded to trap someone who knew too much in a cave on a supposedly empty planet. Any way he spun it, this scenario was not going to rectify itself to normalcy, whatever that was anymore, any time soon. Sigh. Daniel hadn't managed to get much out of the girl, other than she was 'Taur'i', and that she knew both Carter and Feretti. He hadn't even managed to get her name yet, although presumably it had occurred to him to work on that minor detail now. Carter gasped, so he quickly stepped to her side.

"How's that leg holding up?" he asked quietly. She looked up at him and grimaced.  
"I think I actually preferred the itching, Sir – it at least blocked the pain."  
"Well maybe our guest knows a local berry to fix that too," he suggested.  
"She does seem to know quite a bit about a lot of things, Sir," she agreed.

"Mmm," he nodded, distracted by the fact that Teal'c had put up his hand for silence. The three stood like statues, waiting. Suddenly there was a raucous call, a snapping noise, a giant splash, a flock of small black birds rose from the canopy to their right, and Teal'c relaxed.  
"I do not suggest we try swimming in that lake, O'Neill," he turned to face them. "I also think we should be grateful you triggered a response of quills, and not teeth," he nodded to Sam mysteriously. She turned to Jack, confused, and noticed that he was trying very hard not to grin.  
"Teeth, sir?" she asked, sounding suspiciously like she was the butt of a joke and was not going to be happy about it. Jack finally broke and chuckled.  
"I think he means that the "cute furballs" of your ahem unfortunate acquaintance also pack a mean bite, Carter."  
"Oh?" she was starting to get annoyed again – not usually a good sign, but Jack was feeling a tad reckless in his mirth. Teal'c had managed to make a funny, afterall.  
"Now see, if you'd ever actually come up to my cabin…" he started. She glared. He continued, "you'd recognise the apparently universal call of the mighty beaver." He chanced a look down. She still didn't look impressed. Oops. Time for a quick change in tactic – or at least topics. Back to the subject at hand…

"So.. nice for our archaeologist to make yet another new friend, eh?" he tried.  
"Well Sir," she seemed to cool down a bit, "he is a friendly sort."  
"True," he paused. "Now if only we could teach him how to let the others do the talking, preferably about pertinent things… like identification…"  
She glanced sideways again. "Still no name, huh?"  
He shook his head. "Nope."

"O'Neill!" Teal'c called from ahead. "I believe this is the place of which DanielJackson spoke."  
Jack caught up to Teal'c and looked around. The river they had been roughly following wound its way off to the East, abruptly cutting of the forest they had been travelling through thus far. In front of them was a clearing, through which a path seemed to naturally occur. In the distance, Jack could just make out a pock-marked wall of rock. In fact, it looked like the path wound exactly towards a plateau on the cliff face, on which stood a figure that looked suspiciously like Daniel sticking his arm through a crumpled wall of stony rubble…

"Is Daniel…?" Sam began, then shook her head. "No, on second thought, I don't really want to know."  
"Well, he's not yelling for help, but I don't like the look of it either Carter," Jack conceded. "The faster we get there, the sooner we find out."  
"What is Daniel thinking?" she mused, partially to herself.  
"Y'know," Jack snorted, "I personally don't think we'll _ever_ find that out. He might, however, have managed to get her name by now, which'd be nice… Let's go find out, shall we? Teal'c, whenever you're ready…" Teal'c nodded, gave the field (or more precisely, the edges) another scan, then began along the path.

"Convenient, isn't it?" Jack quietly muttered.  
"Sir?" Sam asked.  
"That this nice path leads us exactly where we need to go," he explained his thought.  
"Yes, quite. Daniel pointed that out when we found it on the aerial scans as well – it's like it leads directly from the 'gate to the cliff face," she agreed, then paused. "Funny how it's so well-preserved though, considering that there's no other evidence of humanoids having been active on this planet for decades."  
"Yeah, that thought crossed my mind, too. Kinda like I noticed how it's very out in the open, and that you can't hear the birds anymore…" he noted.  
"Maybe there are no trees here because the beaver/porcupine/fuzzballs with a bite use this trail?" she quipped. He looked at her, and deciding that all must be forgiven on that count, gave her a grin. "Yep, that _must_ be it," he drawled comically. She punched him on the arm. Ouch – okay, so maybe not so much forgiven as put aside until later … Jack looked up as they drew closer, and saw that Daniel had disengaged from the wall, with both arms still intact.  
"Guess she's not carnivorous," he suggested dryly, motioning towards the plateau with a nod.  
"Oh, I wouldn't jump to that conclusion just yet, sir," Sam warned.  
"Oh?"  
She shook her head. "Why the hell would she risk biting the hand that feeds her, so to speak?"  
Jack stopped to consider that. "Good point," he conceded.  
"Daniel!" he shouted as soon as they were close enough. Daniel started, then waved.  
"My friends are here now," he called into the hole now visible in the wall of rubble. He turned to the approaching trio.

"The wall's almost as thick as my arm," he motioned, pointing to a spot just shy of his wrist. "And I only had that old bottle of water to spare, so Ser hasn't much water or any food at all. She sat back down pretty quickly in there, and sounds faint…" he went on, gesturing as he was wont to do.  
"Nice to see you too, Daniel," Jack interrupted. "Carter's doing okay, although she may lose the leg…" Daniel smacked his forehead.  
"Of course! So sorry Sam – how are you holding up?" Daniel asked hurriedly.  
"I'm _fine_, Daniel," she assured him. "So, what have you found out?" she asked, nodding toward the black hole while sitting down to rest her leg. Teal'c quietly passed her a canteen, then began to concentrate on the wall of rubble.  
"Oh, it's amazing!" Daniel gushed, jumping up and excitedly pacing, talking with his hands. "Ser says the carvings actually speak of Elegua – so not a lightning god at all. In fact he's from the African pantheon, which is rather odd for a Gao'uld in the first place. I mean, I don't think we've come across any who've chosen to personify African deities before, especially one as relatively innocuous as Elegua. It just doesn't make much sense yet, but I'm sure that something as un-canonial as this simply _must_ be significant. I mean, maybe he's a rogue Goa'uld, who broke from the mould of obvious power figures…" he was really building up steam. Jack raised his hand to stem Daniel off.  
"So her name is Sarah, and she's a fellow geek – that would about cover it so far, right Daniel?" He asked pointedly. Daniel's face fell.  
"Um, yeah Jack, that about covers it," he said quietly. "Oh, except it's Ser, not Sarah. Short for Serendipity," he corrected.  
Jack paused. "How nice." He seemed to come to a decision, and strode over to the hole in the wall.

"Excuse me ma'am, but I believe introductions are in order," he spoke carefully.  
"It's Miss actually, or Doctor, or I suppose we could go with rank if you'd prefer, Sir," the decidedly tired-sounding disembodied voice came back.   
"I'm sorry – _doctor_?" Jack replied, noting the rank comment, along with how apparently easily the 'Sir' was tacked on at the end of her response.  
"Yes sir," the voice agreed, perking up slightly. "Although my friends call me Ser."  
"Right. Ser. Not Sarah."  
"Nope. Just Ser," she concurred.  
"Ah," Jack paused for a moment. "Does that mean we're friends then, Ser?"  
"Oh lords I do hope so," the voice returned dryly. "At least in my version of Kansas we've got season tickets for the Avalanches together, so I should think that'd count."

Jack stepped back. "Daniel!" he hissed. "What the hell did you tell her?"  
Daniel looked at Jack sharply. "Not much, actually," he replied. "She already knew most of it – apart from me, that is. I seem to have come as a bit of a shock, for some reason." Jack thought about that tidbit for a moment, then returned to the hole.

"So, Ser," he continued, "I'm afraid you have me at a bit of a loss. You seem to know a heck of a lot about … well, most of us, but we don't know you. So how does that work?" There was a pause.  
"Well, sir, I'm guessing one of us has shifted realities. Either y'all appeared and my guys disappeared or, more likely, considering the laws of conservation and Murphy's bloody unerring and inexplicable knack to generally muck up my previously unassuming existence, I'm the answer to 'guess which one of us just doesn't belong here' game," she threw out, sounding frustrated. "Really, it's the story of my bloody life – wrong place at the wrong time, and all that jazz. Seriously, it's a damn good thing I'm such an expert at finding positives – a regular cynical Pollyanna I've become." Jack turned and rolled his eyes at the rest of his team.  
"And don't bother rolling your eyes at me, Jack!" the voice admonished, dropping the formal "sir". Jack's jaw dropped, as did his grin. Ser continued blithely on, as if she could see right through the rock wall. "I don't know how many times I've warned you – if you don't want to know the answer, don't ask the bloody question!" Sam caught herself nodding in agreement – that was something she would have loved to say to his face uncounted times over the past four years, if only she wouldn't be brought up on charges of insubordination… she was definitely going to like this Ser, she was sure of it.  
"Besides Jack, you're the one who gave me that damn nickname," she continued. "Or rather, the Jack I know did," Ser's voice started to fade. SG-1 waited expectantly for her to continue, and after a few moments she did, although she sounded much more disjointed and had obviously lost her momentum.

"I … I'm sorry. You've obviously got no clue who I am, and here I am, making all sorts of assumptions. I'm just really tired … and confused … and…." Her voice dropped off. Daniel ran to the wall.  
"Ser?" he called tentatively. There was no response. "Ser!" he shouted.  
"Wha? Oh … my head … hurting … pretty stars … oh no, not … not the spinning … oh – I really don't feel so good…" Ser's voice trailed off again.  
"Great work Jack!" exclaimed a frustrated Daniel. "Now that she's unconscious, she's probably harmless enough to dig out, dontcha think?"  
Jack sighed. "Yes Daniel, contrary to popular opinion, occasionally I actually do think." He motioned to Teal'c, who had finished surveying the wall of rubble. Teal'c nodded and pointed to a particular spot.  
"I believe if we attack it from here, we can dig a tunnel large enough for me to get through. It should refrain from falling further, and potentially damaging any of us," he explained.  
"Thanks T," Jack said, then turned to the airhole.  
"Ser?" He called gently. There was no response. Jack ploughed on. "We didn't want to just shoot the wall because it seems likely to just come down on your head, so we're going to do this the old-fashioned way instead." He nodded at Teal'c again to begin.  
"Hang in there, Ser," he continued quietly, "because I have a feeling that you and I are going to get along just fine in this reality too."


	4. Jack reports in

**Chapter 4**

It hadn't actually taken too much time to dig Ser out, once Teal'c had identified a fairly safe spot from where to begin. The rubble wall had threatened to shift a few times, and Teal'c had picked up some nasty scrapes on his forearms for his troubles, but nothing that Jr. and some topical ointment couldn't handle. All in all, it had been a successful rescue mission. Daniel had needed some serious calming down when Teal'c brought out Ser, who turned out to be bloodied, bruised, and highly unconscious by the time we managed to retrieve her from the other side of the wall. I kept assuring him that for once, he'd followed the correct procedure in waiting and talking until backup arrived. I figured I should wait until later for our discussion on his choice in lines of questioning during interrogation. While I calmed Daniel down and Teal'c dealt with his wounds, Sam checked our unconscious visitor for broken bones, concealed weaponry, and the tingly traces of Gao'uld influences. Other than an impressive version of a Swiss Army knife on steroids, some picks and brushes, an unusual black tube with finger grooves, and a notebook, she was clean on all counts. She was wearing what looked like standard issue fatigues, but no dogtag, which would have been helpful for identification, of course. There were no obvious blending wounds on her neck or inside her mouth. When we removed her jacket, we saw that she had what looked like an immunisation scar on her right arm, and some impressive white scar patterns on her arms and abdomen, but no visible tattoos. Basically, Ser looked like a typical unremarkable human – short multicoloured hair and big brown eyes that seemed very sensitive to light, but totally responsive. We all agreed that there was _something_ eerily familiar about her, though none of us actually could put our finger on it. She definitely didn't equate to someone from our SGC.

I had started the hike back to the 'gate in order to radio home. Sam's leg had stopped hurting by the time we pulled Ser out of the wall. The puncture wounds had all closed up, and we figured that the doc would be very interested in getting her hands on a few bushels of those yellow berries. Seeing as the plateau we were on was a good five clicks from the 'gate, and the team didn't seem to be in any immediate danger, I decided not to try to move Ser, at least not without a gurney, until after she regained consciousness. I was, however, sure as heck going to call in an update of our situation. I dialled Earth, wondering if I was going to end up escorting a certain doctor back to our makeshift camp by the end of this conversation.

**Is there a problem, Col O'Neill?** came General Hammond's Texan drawl. **SG-1 isn't scheduled to make contact for another 20 hours.  
Well sir, we've had some mild excitement here on the planet.**  
PAUSE  
**Continue, Colonel.  
Carter ran into some trouble with the local wildlife, sir, but we found an indigenous berry which the doc's going to want to examine that fixed her right up.** Jack began.  
**Is she alright, Colonel?** Hammond sounded concerned, as he always was for the members of his flagship team. He figured it couldn't be that serious though, as they would have come home or called for help much sooner than this.  
**Yeah, the berries are working their magic, sir. Actually, we've had another interesting event that I wanted to let you know about.   
Yes?  
Well sir, the cave system that Daniel was so interested in … by the time he got there, the entrance had caved in.  
That's unfortunate, but I'm not understanding why…  
Well, apparently the entrance was there when we arrived, at least according to the aerial reconnaissance, but not when he got there. There was, however, someone trapped inside.  
** **But there weren't supposed to be any humanoid life-forms on the planet!  
Oh, but it gets better, sir. Not only did she randomly appear, but Ser seems to know a heck of a lot about us – Earth, the SGC, even us, specifically. She claims to be a member of SG2 … under the command of Lt. Col. Kawalsky.** Jack let that one sink in for a minute.  
**But – how? _Lieutenant_ Kawalsky died four years ago!  
Yes, sir, I was there. And to answer your question, we're not quite sure. As far as we can figure, it's a reality shift, like those quantum mirrors, except without a mirror. She said there was a weird storm, and a purple flash, and then she woke up in the rubble, talking to Daniel.  
…interesting.  
She's unconscious right now. We had to dig her out of the cave the hard way, and it took some time. Carter's given her a once-over, and she's certain that there's no Gao'uld influences at work. She's wearing a pretty standard issue uniform, which doesn't help much.  
Do we know her, Colonel?  
No, but…  
But?  
Well, there is something familiar about her sir. None of us could quite put our collective finger on it. She reminds us vaguely of someone … but, we can't figure out who, yet.  
Well, bring her back to base, and we'll have the doctor run tests – ah, here she is now.  
Hiya Doc.  
Hi Colonel. What's this I hear about Sam getting hurt and you finding some wonder fruit for me to look at?  
That's not all we have for you to check out, Doc. We found a visitor, and as I was about to tell General Hammond, she has a funky-looking puncture mark on her arm – like an immunisation, but not like one I've seen before. It's in a distinct star pattern.  
** **Visitor, sir? Um, sirs?  
SG-1 has picked up a girl who claims to be SGC, from another reality, apparently.  
I don't think it would be a good idea to bring her back here then, sirs.  
Care to explain that, doctor?  
Has she begun her entropic cascade failure yet, Colonel?  
No Doc, but it's only been … maybe 10 hours since Daniel first made contact with her. We don't know if there's an actual quantum mirror around or not, so who knows if the same rules apply. For the moment though, she's still unconscious.  
Okay, so we're not sure of how long she's actually been in our reality. We're also not sure of how much physical proximity of the double affects the effect.  
She's definitely not one of ours, Doc.  
Thank you Colonel, but that hardly means she doesn't exist on our Earth, and I don't want to chance causing a slide if we don't have to – especially if it involves unsuspecting civilians. Until we get a positive family history, I highly recommend keeping her there. Also, we're not sure what immunisations she holds – or what bugs she might be a carrier of, for that matter, that we're not immune to here. The different strains of flu alone…  
The doctor raises a valid point. More than one, actually. I don't want to risk exposing the base to any potentially communicable diseases.  
So we keep her here, and pick her brain?  
That would be an excellent idea, Colonel.  
Did you say she was still unconscious, Colonel?  
** **Yes, ma'am. Although she was pretty feisty when she was talking, so I'm not sure this is exactly a bad thing…  
Sir, requesting permission to travel to the planet. I'd like to examine the patient. If she's been unconscious for this long, she may very well have a concussion. I'd also like to check out these berries – they sound like they have great potential for medicinal value...  
Agreed, doctor. Go suit up. Colonel, would you be so kind as to wait and escort the doctor to your camp?  
But of course! Doc's always a pleasure to have along…  
Understood. SGC out.**

I waited a good half an hour before the 'gate began to dial again. Instead of Dr. Fraiser, however, the MALP squawked at me.

** Colonel O'Neill, are you there?** came Gen. Hammond voice.  
**Yes Sir, just waiting for the good doctor – has there been a hold-up?  
You could say that, Colonel. Just before we began to dial out, an emergency off-world activation rang through. SG-8 and 9 been under heavy fire, and brought back quite a few wounded, so the doctor's going to be tied up in surgery for a while. She said she'll 'gate over tomorrow, if you'd be able to meet her.  
Of course sir.  
Good. Expect her in 24 hours – that'll give her enough time to sign off and get some rest before 'gating through. Oh and Colonel? Should the patient regain consciousness before the doctor arrives, I have no problems with an exchange of information. As we've discovered in the past when people have shifted realities, sometimes it's the little differences that make the biggest impact in our continued survival.  
** ** Exactly what I was thinking sir.  
Good luck. SGC out.**


	5. Tell us how you really feel

**Chapter 5 **

The campfire crackled cheerfully. I had regained consciousness to discover the darkness was that of dusk, not the inside of the cave – a definite improvement in my mind. My head still swam, but at least Dankit was keeping quiet, which always makes for a nice change. I tested all my limbs, and everything seemed functional – always a good sign. I groaned though as my muscles resisted my attempts to get up, and Daniel rushed over. He was as good looking as the commemorative photo in the briefing room, albeit with much shorter hair. Nice. And he was holding my notebook. Not so nice. I could feel my hackles start to rise – no one, but **no one** went through my notebook without my okay. Not even _the_ doctor Daniel Jackson! Grrrrrr. He smartly placated me by saying he was so glad I was awake, because he would really like to compare notes, but there was no way he was going to go through my stuff without asking me first. Intelligent boy indeed. I gave him permission to flip and compare away – I had a distinct feeling that he'd treat my stuff with the respect it deserved. Translations were hard work, not that anyone else in the SGC seemed to understand that… So he helped me to sit up by the fire, and disappeared into the tents.

I noticed the formidable warrior Teal'c, sitting stoically, just observing me. Well, knowing Teal'c, not just me, but a girl can imagine her own importance, right?  
"Hi. Thanks for the rescue," I said, noticing the scrapes on his arms.

"You are welcome," he replied, and returned to his silent observations. Sam came to sit beside me. I had no idea where Jack had gotten to, but knowing him, he was most likely checking in with the General on whether to bring me back to Earth or not. I was sincerely hoping for the not on that one.

"How's your head?" she ventured.  
"Still a little woozy, but thanks for asking," I answered.

She looked just like my Sammie, right down to the slightly floppy blonde hair framing her face. Huh. I wondered if she – or Jack, for that matter – would have the same scars as my pair of friends. I noted she wasn't wearing a ring – so not _quite_ my Sammie then. Must remember that…

"Thanks for the tip about the berries – the itching was unbearable!" She grinned.  
"That's what Fer—" I stopped. "No problem. Glad I could help."  
Sam nodded. "So, about that…" I looked at her expectantly. She took that as a sign to plough on. "Daniel said that you knew my name already, and that we were SG1." I nodded.  
"And that you were a member of SG2." I nodded again, not really trusting myself to speak. She looked like my best friend, and sounded like her, but …  
"Under Kawalsky?" she continued.  
"Yep, the big K took me under his wing. And Prax'l too, although I'm sure you already know all that," I replied, tired of the fishing. She looked a bit startled.  
"Prax'l?" she asked.  
"Sure, Prax'l. What, it's not like Teal'c's the only alien on a leading SG team, right?" I scoffed.  
"Right…." She replied, slowly. Great – chalk another breach of info protocol to me. Damn, I was batting a thousand today, wasn't I? Which reminded me – it was too quiet. Where the heck was Dankit with his editorial comments?  
"You don't have a Prax'l, do you." I hazarded.  
"Nope," she admitted.  
"Well he's definitely a story for another day then, because that's goes back through almost four years of history, and I don't think my head can handle that right now." She nodded.  
"Fair enough," she allowed. "I'm sure we've got lots of people you don't know either."  
"True," I agreed.  
"So," Sam tried a different tack. "Serendipity is an interesting name."  
"My grandmother thought it was fitting, yeah," I agreed.  
"Your grandmother?" She paused. "What did your parents think?"  
I snorted. "Well, now, let's see… My teenage mother was recovering in hospital, and just glad that neither my grandfather nor I had actually managed to kill her, although both of us apparently threatened to do so a few times during the pregnancy. Said grandfather pretty much washed his hands of all of us, and left my grandmother to pick up all the pieces. The sperm donor was serving time for knocking up my underage mother in the first place, and my uncle was doing community service as a thank you for only breaking said sperm donor's jaw instead of his neck – suffice it to say that grandma was the only one who was in any position to give a flying rat's arse at the pertinent time." I recited vehemently.  
Sam sat back. "Oh!" was pretty much all she could manage.  
"I'm sorry," I apologised, looking at her shocked face. "There's a lot of family history there, and my Sammie knows all this shit already."  
"Your Sammie?" she glanced at me. I turned to face her.  
"Yeah, my Sammie. Not you," I took a deep breath, and tried to explain. "It's taking a lot of energy to remember that even though you look and sound like my best friend, you're not her. You won't get the jokes or know the canned responses. You don't know to avoid the taboo topics that get my haunches raised in nanoseconds, like my family history. Just like the Teal'c over there isn't the guy I watch cult classics with to try to explain nuances of human culture, or who kills me every time we grab the water guns. And Jack isn't going to be the guy I play street hockey with, or escape for a steak with at O'Malley's when the craziness of the base starts to wear thin. I don't know your Daniel at all, because the Daniel on our world hasn't set foot on Earth in over two years, being a tad tied up dealing with the problems on Abydos. I won't know your Kawalsky, or Feretti, or Doc, or anyone else. I feel like I'm in the middle of a probability equation that's gone all wrong – y'all look like my friends, and sound like my friends, and answer to their names, but you aren't them."

_ I'm proud of you Ser – you managed to calm yourself down. See, you are getting better at this.  
Oh good, you're back. I was starting to get lonely …   
Good to know I'd be missed, Ser.  
Honestly Dankit, I dread to think what'd happen if I lost control right now – it wouldn't be pretty anyway. Wait – what were you up to while I was unconscious?  
I laid low, like we had agreed. Well, and fixed you, of course.  
So why does my head feel so … odd?  
That I don't know Ser. I think you may be thinking too much again.  
Very funny, Dankit, ha ha.  
Ser, seriously, you're doing fine. I have confidence in you – just be yourself, and it will all be okay. It usually works out, doesn't it?_

Sam was still staring at me. I shook myself, and started again. "Look, I just mean I'm sorry for blowing up, but it's bound to happen, right? I mean, you of all people should know how this goes!"  
She nodded. "Yeah, it was odd meeting myself a few times – but I've never been the one to travel through. I just can't imagine what you must be going through…"  
I chuckled. "At least there doesn't seem to be one of me here. That sliding is bloody painful, I hear. Not to mention it doesn't create quite the awkwardness you've had in your past encounters, if they were anything like ours."  
"Oh?" She asked, feigning innocence.  
"Well, you were married in a couple, which caused some minor consternation in our reality." I answered, refusing to go into details. The times when her other self was married to Jack we were able to deal with fairly well, considering. The self who had been married to Doc, however, did get a bit more dicey…  
"Ah," she answered, apparently expecting that as an answer.

"Speaking of Jack," I innocently started, and smiled when she turned bright red, "where is your fearless leader?"  
"Right behind you, oh now conscious one," his voice sounded behind me. To my credit, I did not jump. Unfortunately I couldn't say the same for Sam, who was still bright red.  
"Sir!" she choked. Jack nodded.  
"Carter," he smiled. "Teal'c. Ser. Dan – where the heck is Daniel?" he cried. A rustling from the tents gave it away.  
"Here Jack! All present and accounted for!" Daniel turned to me. "Ser, some of these translations are _great_!!! I mean, this one form PSX-992…" he began.  
"Oh yeah, the Temple of Karouse!" I exclaimed. "That one was a real bitch – sub-dialects out the freakin' wazzoo!" I could see Jack mouthing "wazzoo" to Sam, who just shrugged. I ignored them and continued on. "The passage about ascending was brutal. It took me weeks…" I paused at the look on Daniel's face.  
"Ascending?" he repeated.  
"Sure." I got up slowly and took my notebook. I flipped over a page, and ran my finger down the translations, stopping about halfway down the sheet. "Here." The world started to threaten spinning again, so I sat heavily back down. Daniel was reading, running his finger along the page and silently mouthing the words.  
"Brilliant! Robert _still _hasn't made head or tails of that passage," he exclaimed. I looked up at him sharply.  
"Robert?" I hissed. Daniel looked at me in surprise.  
"Yeah, he's my assistant. Robert—"  
"Rothmann," I interrupted, picking up steam (and more energetic hand motions) as I went, "is a blathering idiot and a completely clueless waste of space, except perhaps as cannon fodder to aim at attacking Goa'ulds. He can't deduce a linguistic pattern unless you hit him over the head with it, and then he'll take credit for your work! His archaeological instincts are appalling! His grasp of Runes is utterly useless, and he simply can not work a zat to save his life – and that one I've observed take place first hand! Thank the gods the Unas are actually friendly once you get them talking – although, the only reason I bothered to rescue the bloody nit's behind yet again (without thanks, _again_, I might add) is because I actually wanted to establish a working relationship with the Unas, and saddling them with that nincompoop would _not_ have been a good way to start what's turned out to be a beautifully mutually-beneficial relationship!" I stopped when I realised that they were all staring at me. Oops.

"Well," Jack began authoritatively, "for a geek, I like how she thinks." He turned to me. "If you would be so kind as to pause that highly entertaining rant for a minute longer?" he asked. I nodded slowly, not sure what was about to come next.  
"General Hammond says we're to go ahead as planned with the reconnaissance. He hopes that Ser, here, will be willing to share some more of her info and expertise," he pleadingly held up his hand before continuing, "as shall we, of course, until either we're done or we figure out how to reverse this purple shifty thingy." Nods met his glance all around. "Also, the doc is very interested in those fancy yellow berries, so she'll be joining the party for a while tomorrow." He grabbed a food pack from his jacket and settled down beside Teal'c.

"Now Ser," he smiled, "please don't hold back. Tell us how you _really_ feel."  
"About, sir?" I asked, a tad confused. He grinned.  
"Everyone."


	6. Meanwhile, back at the ranch

Chapter 6

"Oh…" Kawalsky groaned, "…did anyone catch the license plate of that Mack truck?"

Feretti smiled from the other side of the camp, where he had been picking up debris scattered by the previous night's storm. "Welcome back to the land of the conscious, sir," he mock-saluted, using a broken tree branch instead of his hand. "You've been out for a good oh…" he paused to check his watch, "just shy of 7 hours now – did you have a nice nap, though?"

"Gee thanks, Feretti." Kawalsky tried to sit straight up, but that didn't agree so well with his head, so he tried rolling over so as to prop himself up, and dropped back down with a thud when the sharp pain continued to drive through his skull.

"What the hell happened?" he asked instead.

"That storm hit faster than anything I've seen – it was perfectly clear one minute, then thick black clouds rolled in faster than stew down Prax'l's gullet – whoo-ee! Wham, bam, thank you ma'am! Deafening cracks of thunder, blinding purple flashes, and gale-force winds whippin' everything about like over-grown tumbleweed … Prax'l radioed Ser to tell her to move her ass back outta the caves, 'cause for some reason the storm seemed centred over there. Cue sonic boom, you got knocked out by some flyin' debris, and Bob's your uncle!" Feretti explained.

"I don't have an uncle Bob, Fer." Kawalsky tiredly returned. "Where is Prax'l?" he sat up suddenly. "Where the hell is our lil' diplomat?" He asked more urgently. Feretti tsked at him.

"Prax'l tried radioing her, but wasn't picking anything up – not even static. He's trekked up there to try to find out what's happened to them."

**Feretti, has K awoken yet?** crackled the radio.

"Speak of the devil," he tossed Kawalsky his radio. "For you, sir," he jokingly intoned, before heading back to clean-up duty. Kawalsky nodded his thanks.

**Yeah, I'm awake Prax'l. What's the news from the caves?**

**Greetings K. I am standing at the correct plateau, but Ser is no longer here.**

**What do you mean, Prax'l, 'no longer there'?**

**There are no life scans in the near vicinity.**

**PAUSE**

**I'm sorry Prax'l, repeat again.**

**Certainly K. Unless the scans are incorrect, this was the only aperture large enough for an adult humanoid. There is nowhere else for her to be but inside, and I am not detecting her presence within the cave system.**

**Okay – wait, what do you mean, 'detecting her presence'? Can't you just look?**

**I am looking, K. I can see her rucksack by the entrance. The dust is settling evenly, and there are no fresh footprints. I can not hear any fluids within. It will take some time to search the entire system properly.**

Kawalsky shook his head. This didn't sound good. "Fer, we're going to head up to the caves," he called. Feretti just nodded.

**Prax'l, continue searching – they couldn't have just disappeared!**

**If you hold that to be your reality, K.**

**Yes, Prax'l, I do. Feretti and I will be along as soon as I can stand without falling over.**

**Agreed K. I will continue to look and listen.**

"Hey boss," Feretti began as he helped his CO to his feet, "not to be a stickler for details, but why was Prax'l 'looking' and 'listening' instead of 'searching'?"

Kawalsky looked at his second in command, who continued on. "I mean, I know Ser's been at him to expand his use of the English language and all, but…" he trailed off.

"But it does kinda make you wonder, doesn't it." Kawalsky finished the thought, before continuing with his own. "Which is why we're going to meet him, post haste!" he concluded.

"D'ya think maybe we should call for backup, sir?" Feretti suggested quietly.

"Hell no! …at least, not yet," he amended. "I'm not calling for reinforcements until we've properly assessed the situation."

"Right, sir," Feretti nodded as they walked along the highly convenient path that seemed to lead fairly directly towards the caves from whence their local genius had last transmitted. He tried to keep from grinning as he remembered the reactions the last few times Ser had managed to get the team into a situation requiring back-up … it's just never a good sign to take on a team member who's both trouble-prone and well-connected. Kawalsky and Feretti continued on in silence until the cliff face wove into view, along with Prax'l on the plateau. Kawalsky whistled.

"Well shit – now that just doesn't look pretty," he muttered. Feretti nodded again, cracking a smile at his CO's indiscretion. He personally continued to do a double-take whenever Prax'l came into view, and he'd known him for almost four years. Granted, the pointed ears and teeth, not to mention the forked tongue, were usually kept pretty inconspicuous, and his truly funky eyes were usually safely behind his specially-designed shades, but it was the damn prehensile tail that had a tendency to catch the eye. Still, he was a great guy … As they drew closer still, Prax'l shifted, and Feretti realised that Kawalsky hadn't been referring to their alien friend at all.

"Um … isn't there supposed to be a cave there, sir?" he asked, with his mouth ajar.

"I guess that explains Prax'l's choice of wording," Kawalsky responded. Where there had been a fairly sizeable cave entrance yesterday was now an imposing pile of rocks, none looking smaller than a human child. Feretti cleared his throat.

"So, um," he began, "_Now_ we should call for back-up, sir?" he ventured.

Kawalsky glanced at his friend. "I'd really rather not quite yet," he responded, then paused. "I'd really prefer to know exactly what bad news is that I'm going to be shot for –"

"—or worse!" Feretti interrupted.

"or worse," Kawalsky granted, "for delivering _before_ I attempt to do so."

"Ah," was Feretti's response. "Learning from past mistakes, huh sir?" Kawalsky grimaced.

They had caught up to Prax'l, who thoughtfully refit his glasses before turning to face them. He had discovered that humans became even more irrational than their usual when he could see through them.

"K. Feretti. I have continued to look at various depths. I attempted to move the obstacles myself, but was obviously unsuccessful…" Prax'l looked inordinately disappointed in himself, but Kawalsky motioned for him to continue, so he did so. "There are recently cleaned carvings inside, suggesting that this is indeed the correct cave, as concurred by the evidence of Ser's rucksack just beyond where the entrance used to be. There is not, however, evidence of Ser – or Dankit, for that matter. No scuffle, struggle, or drag marks on any of the surfaces to suggest involuntary relocation, nor spilled body fluids of a recent nature –"

Kawalsky looked sharply at Prax'l. "…of a recent nature? Do I want to know?" he asked.

"Blood, K. Several decades old though, so definitely not Ser's," came the bemused response. "Although I'm sure she would have been fascinated with the discovery, were she here to share the details with."

Kawalsky gave a resigned "huh", sighed, and motioned to Feretti.

"Okay, you're more of a betting man than I am, Fer," Kawalsky suggested. Feretti nodded.

"Sure sir. I'd say roomie's the safest bet, this time," he started. Kawalsky snorted.

"What, with the wedding fast approaching? I think not!" he retorted. Feretti cocked his head to the side.

"True, but Dankit's due to preside at a negotiation with Chancellor Mgwali in three weeks, so the chief's got high stakes in their continued safety … and presence," Feretti returned.

"Damn – forgot about that conference," Kawalsky admitted. "Okay, you might be right on the roomie…"

"Personally I would be more concerned with the reaction of her mother," Prax'l calmly offered. Kawalsky sighed and slung his head.

"Yeah … so in short, I'm screwed." He turned to Feretti. "Let's get this over with then. Prax'l!" he called over his shoulder as he and Feretti turned back down the path, this time to head to the 'gate, "Please, find me _something_!" Prax'l had already turned back to the newly-formed wall, removing his glasses again so he could make use of his deep vision – something the males in the locker room ignorantly labelled "x-ray". It worried him that he could not hear anything beyond dust settling within the caves. He could, however, hear Kawalsky muttering as they walked away:

"Do you ever get the feeling that you're heading to a barbecue, and you're about to be the main course?"


End file.
